Petroleum resin

Hydrocarbon resin is a C5/C9 aromatic hydrocarbon used in industrial applications. It has a tackifying effect and is suitable for use in paint, printing ink, adhesives, rubber and other areas where tackiness is required.[1]

It is a kind of thermal plasticizing hydrocarbon resin produced by C5, C9 fraction, by-products of petroleum cracking, through pretreatment, polymerization and distillation. It is not a high polymer but a low polymer with the molecular weight between 300-3000. Featured by acid value, easy mutual solubilities, resistant to water, resistant to ethanol and chemicals. It has the chemical stabilizing property to acid and alkaline, viscosity adjusting and thermal stabilizing, Generally, the petroleum resins are not used independently, but have to be used together with other kinds of resins as promoters, adjusting agents and modifiers in hot-melt adhesive, pressure-sensitive adhesive, hot melt road marking paint,[2] rubber tires and so on.

There are various types of hydrocarbon resins include C5 Resins, C9 Resins, C5/C9 copolymer resins, and hydrogenated resins. C5 Resins are produced from aliphatic crackers like Piperylene and Isoprene, the current major catalyst is AlCl3. C9 Resins are produced from aromatic crackers like Vinyltoluenes, Indene, Alpha Methylstyrene, Stryene, Methylindenes, etc, the current major catalyst is BF3. C5/C9 copolymer resins are produced from both aliphatic crackers and aromatic crackers. Regarding to hydrogenated resins, there are some additional process like hydrogenated (use hydrogen), by this way, the double bond is neutralized and light color even water white resins are produced. There are some different types, including hydrogenated C5 Resins, hydrogenated C9 Resins, Hydrogenated C5/C9 Resin, and Hydrogenated DCPD resins. [3]